AV on the IT Network: Building a Secure Infrastructure

Audiovisual technology can only pair well with your network if you have a good AV/IT integration strategy. Even then, you risk encountering issues with software-based vulnerabilities and 4K60’s high bandwidth consumption. This is why IT teams generally try to limit the amount of software a business uses. However, no matter how rigorous your integration is, a network failure may leave you and your team struggling to even give simple presentations.

In this blog post, we’ll explain the risks of integrating your AV and IT systems - and how to do so safely.

The IT Dilemma: Why AV Devices Can Be a Security Risk

Any piece of AV tech that connects to a business’s infrastructure can pose a problem. They may not be traditional computer systems, but they still have many of the same vulnerabilities.

Some common issues include:

●     Nobody changing a device’s default password

●     Irregular updates, meaning security flaws can remain for years

●     Poor encryption allowing others to hijack a feed

●     AV systems on the same network as business-critical systems

●     Tools connecting to poorly-secured third-party platforms

Your team must treat devices as IT assets throughout the AV/IT integration process. This means vetting each device and enforcing a high standard of networked AV security.

Security Fears: Why Windows/OS Systems Are Vulnerable

Modern AV systems are increasingly prioritizing hardware solutions, in part due to the limitations of a software-driven approach. AV software mainly runs on normal PCs, meaning a larger attack surface and the unfortunate ability to execute malware if infected.

As AV PCs are usually managed by AV integrators, rather than IT staff, this increases the risk of configuration errors that leave devices open to malicious actors. For example, an integrator may disable the PC’s firewall or enable auto-login features for convenience.

Also, too many companies make the mistake of treating an AV PC as a standalone audiovisual device rather than a PC with all the expected vulnerabilities. In fact, these systems often aren’t managed by a company’s IT team, even though they should be.

The best way to combat many of these vulnerabilities is to use purpose-built AV hardware. This gives you a smaller attack surface and limited network interactions. Hardware-based AV security only exposes necessary interfaces and runs minimally embedded operating systems, keeping the whole system resilient.

The Bandwidth Conflict: How 4K60 Slows Down the Office

Some AV solutions strain a company’s network by pushing its infrastructure beyond what it was built for. Improper 4K60 integration is a common culprit here.

4K60 devices deliver 4K video at 60 frames per second, often with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling to ensure full color accuracy. All three of these factors significantly increase how much data the AV system requires to play a video.

1080p video at 30 frames per second already consumes a relatively high amount of bandwidth, and 4K60 often requires several times that much. This could lead to lag during meetings, issues with other business-critical applications, and even the Wi-Fi cutting out.

This added load could affect the whole company network, not just the devices. The answer here isn’t necessarily to stop using 4K60, however. It’s usually to segment AV traffic and make sure it sits on a separate VLAN from your main IT traffic. Alternatively, you could use bandwidth-aware encoding to transmit high-quality video more efficiently.

Managing the System: Why IT Teams Avoid Extra Software

IT teams are understandably concerned about security risks, and new software applications are often contentious for this reason. Every new software adds extra processes that can complicate the overall system while also adding new potential entry points for hackers.

In addition, as mentioned above, AV software often has infrequent patches, and installing these could throw off a room’s audiovisual setup. However, avoiding them could leave a door open for people to exploit the software’s vulnerabilities, which can then affect the whole network.

AV environments already combine cameras, codecs, DSPs, control systems, and more. Adding yet another program to the mix could cause it all to break. For example, multiple programs may compete for control of the same hardware, or a piece of software might use a proprietary driver that conflicts with newer OS-wide drivers.

Only thorough AV/IT integration can navigate these risks and make sure the software slots into your tech stack.

DVP500 Video Processor	DMX302x Matrix Switcher

Staying Online: What Happens if the Network Fails?

Downtime is nearly impossible to avoid entirely, and when it happens, IT-integrated AV systems could be caught in the crossfire. The severity of this depends on how extensively your AV setup relies on network services. However, here are some common outcomes:

●     Video conferencing becomes impossible, grinding meetings to a halt

●     AV-over-IP infrastructure fails, affecting an AV-driven room’s functionality

●     AV systems that depend on cloud services will immediately go dark

●     Digital signage systems can freeze, even if they’re outside your premises

●     Networked cameras may fail, leaving the building’s security in jeopardy

Your best bet for avoiding many of these issues is to prioritize local/edge processing, effectively removing the network from the equation to a point. As a fail-safe, AV systems should come with an offline mode, which would be particularly useful for in-house presentations. Alternatively, you can again split AV traffic from general IT traffic; a failure with the latter won’t affect the former.

A Safer Network Infrastructure for 2026

AV/IT integration helps keep your network safe and your overall system stable. This, however, is only possible if you involve both IT and AV professionals. Get in touch with DEXON today to find the best IT-friendly audiovisual products and guarantee a smooth installation.